WKU meteorology faculty, staff, students attend AMS conference

A total of 26 WKU meteorology faculty, staff and students presented their research Feb. 2-6 at the 94th American Meteorological Society (AMS) Annual Meeting in Atlanta.

The theme of this year’s meeting was Extreme Weather – Climate and the Built Environment: New Perspectives, Opportunities, and Tools.

WKU meteorologists presented research that contributed to the main theme of the conference, which covered severe and super storms and extreme heat wave and droughts.

In addition to presenting their research, WKU meteorology students also volunteered for service at the AMS conference, networked with renowned scientists, prospective graduate schools or potential employers and took advantage of opportunities to explore the areas of meteorological science that encompass “scientific inquiry, technological advances, societal implications and public awareness.”

There were 3,456 attendees of the conference (836 students), representing 34 countries. Attending professional conferences at the national and international level provides WKU students with an opportunity to learn about the frontiers of research, new technology, and the future direction of scientific advancement. The 2015 AMS Annual Conference will be held Jan. 4-8 in Phoenix, Ariz.

WKU students presenting research with faculty mentors included Jesse Winchester of Medina, Tenn.; Emily Thornton of Brentwood, Tenn.; Chris Johnson of Lexington; Kyle Thompson of Henderson; and Veronica Hall of Livonia, Mich.

Seven oral and poster presentations were made by WKU faculty, staff and students at the conference:

• The impacts of land cover change on local precipitation over the Land Between the Lakes region by Jesse N. Winchester and faculty mentors.
• An assessment of 26 April 2011 Pre-Frontal Squall Line in Kentucky by Emily Y. Thornton and faculty mentors.
• Influence of Karst Landscape on Weather Systems: A WRF Model Study on Responses for Different Land and Soil Types by Chris M. Johnson and faculty mentors.
• The Record-breaking Extreme Hot/Dry Summer of 2011 in the Southern Plains: Indications from Teleconnection Patterns by Dr. Xingang Fan, Dr. Greg Goodrich and student co-authors.
• Relationships between synoptic-scale circulation features and antecedent upstream air trajectories associated with winter storms in central North Carolina by Dr. Josh Durkee and other co-authors.
• Station Exposure and Resulted Bias in Temperature Observations: A Comparison between the Kentucky Mesonet and ASOS Data by James Kyle Thompson and faculty mentors.
• A Hydrometeorological Investigation of Precipitation and Water Resource Variability in Barbados by Veronica Olexa Hall and faculty mentors.

Contact: Rezaul Mahmood or Xingang Fan, (270) 745-4555.